


That's what killed him

by mara_croft



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, How Do I Tag, I'm Sorry, My First Fanfic, Realization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 10:31:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15579996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mara_croft/pseuds/mara_croft
Summary: The odds were against him from the start. A swift punch to the gut was all it took for him to go down, and Hank could only watch, frozen, as bullet after bullet was shot into the boy he never thought he'd care about.Eleven. He didn't know why he counted. It seemed excessive, especially for an android that claimed to only do things that are necessary for is mission. The first shot, aimed perfectly at Connor's forehead, was enough.It was enough for Hank to see the life die out of his brown eyes.





	That's what killed him

He should have realized something was off.

Connor,  _his_  Connor, is mechanical most times, and takes everything so  _fucking_ literal it's almost maddening. But Hank, in the short time he's been partnered with that plastic brat, had come to notice different things about him. Like that stupid shitty coin, and the stupid way he always fusses with how he looks. At first, Hank found it ridiculous. Why would they make something that isn't supposed to feel anything look, sound, and  _seem so human?_ Something that is always obsessed with its accomplishing its mission, obsessed with being the  _fucking perfect_ android sent by Cyberlife.

They must have fucked up somewhere along the way, because as much as Hank didn't want to admit it, Connor was... something. Had been following him around like a goddamn poodle, being a condescending little shit, but somehow choosing to save his life over chasing the pigeon-loving weirdo. Had cost him a fortune in hiring sex bots he didn't even get to use (not that he wanted to, mind you), but had let a pair of scared desperate girls go despite having the opportunity to shoot them. Had chosen to give up vital information he needed to spare a girl not even realizing she's being used in a sick test by her creator.

Had shielded Hank from the bullets of a frantic cornered android, back in Stratford tower. And died for it.

Connor had been waiting for him in Kamski's mansion the next day, looking none the worse for wear, and it hadn't mattered anymore, but Hank went back to his whiskey that night, questioning himself over and over, just why the fuck would anyone, android or human, put his pathetic, drunken life over their own. 

He wanted to ask Connor, until he decided he didn't need to know. He had already sounded simultaneously so defensive, confused and almost scared when he had asked why he spared Kamski's android, like he had when Hank had (regrettably) pointed a gun at him. At the back of Hank's mind, he already had the answer. And he's ready to admit that perhaps this goofy-faced android isn't as bad as he thought. 

Hank isn't ready to admit anything more than that, how the sight of Connor petting Sumo (yeah, he saw that) back at his house made him pause, how he felt almost  _proud_  when he shoved Kamski's stupid gun back at him, how he wanted to punch Perkins' smug rat face every time he sneered at Connor, how he had felt... wrong after seeing Connor look uncertainly at the barrel of his gun.

How painfully tight his chest had felt after Connor died saving him from that armed deviant. How he had struggled to hide the unbidden tears, and making sure no one saw. Wilson saw, but he didn’t mention it. He mourned too, Hank knew. Connor had saved him from bleeding out three months ago, during that infamous hostage situation. 

How maybe, just maybe, androids really are more than just the machines they were created to be.

 

* * *

 

He should have realized something was  _fucking off!_

The android wearing Connor's face didn't even spare a second glance at Sumo after Hank opened the door that night, considering the St. Bernard was sniffing at his feet and wagging his tail. He just stood there with an empty smile, and asked for his help in something.

"It's the middle of the fucking night, kid! I heard about the attack on that deviant place! Are you okay? Is this really important? What's going on?" Hank couldn't stop the barrage of questions from his mouth

"It is, Lieutenant, and you're the only one who can help me. It is related to the attack on Jericho. I'll tell you more when we get there, it is time sensitive"

Hank wasn't about to refuse someone who had saved his life twice in a span of several days, and he realized now that that's exactly what the copy hoped for.

He didn't miss the way the android stood unmovingly near the front door, like a hat rack, while he waited for Hank to get dressed. He didn't miss how the android's eyes never left him, following his every movement, like he didn't want to let him out of his sight. He didn't miss how the copy never engaged him in meaningless small talk during the whole car ride to Cyberlife tower, like Connor usually did.

He noticed, but he still didn't put it together even after the copy pointed his own gun at him. To be fair, Hank didn't consider a duplicate Connor as an option. He had run through so any thoughts, like maybe the kid was reset by those Cyberfuckers, or he was being forced, or even that he had gone deviant and needed him as a distraction for whatever bullshit he needs to do. 

Well, maybe he's not completely wrong.

"I'm sorry for this, Lieutenant, but depending on how this would go, you may still walk out of this alive" The sack of shit actually smirked at him! 

"Connor, what the fuck- why are you- I thought-" He couldn't make a proper sentence, he was just too confused. "Were you- did they... reset you?"

If they had, what would... could he do? 

"Not quite. I was activated only 2 hours and 17 minutes ago, and uploaded with my predecessor's memories" Hank's head was starting to hurt.

" _Two_ hou- wait... predecessor?" What the fuck was going on?

"Correct. Earlier this night, RK800 model #313 248 317- 52 deviated from its programming aboard the abandoned freighter Jericho, also known as the deviants' base of operations, and joined the rebels. I have been assigned to neutralize it, and your assistance is appreciated, willing or not"

The whole elevator ride down, Hank didn’t say a word. His head reeled with everything that’s going on. Oddly enough, the idea of Connor being a deviant didn’t surprise or shock him in the slightest. It had been just a matter of time. As a matter of fact, he was…  _happy?..._ about it. Connor no longer being bound by his stupid fucking mission, free to do what he wants to do, free to  _feel_.

Hank got reminded of his situation when they got to their destination, one of the basement levels where Cyberlife keeps their androids stored. He's been taken hostage by his robot partner's evil robot twin, for the purpose of killing his robot partner, who has come here to presumably liberate his fellow robots.

Sounds like a plot from a bad sci-fi film.

'I'm being used as leverage', Hank acknowledged the ridiculousness of the situation with a snort. The duplicate gently nudged his back with the gun, as they exited the elevator. 'I'm a cop, not a fucking damsel in distress. This is humiliating'

As they both glanced at the descent of the elevator on the other end of the room, he grimly acknowledged the possibility of his death. ‘I'm a depressive, drunk old man. I haven’t been alive for a long time’

‘If I can save a babyfaced tin can from himself, literally, then it will be worth it’

 

* * *

 

It was easy to recognize the figure standing in the elevator. It had to be him. The real Connor, of course. They hadn't had to wait long.

The duplicate nudged him with the barrel of his gun, almost as if he sensed Hank's want to warn Connor in any way. He didn't doubt that the plastic fucker won't hesitate to shoot him if need be. He had glimpsed the bodies of the two guards Connor killed in the elevator, and they're the exact same model. Hank won't have a chance, and dying now won't help Connor anyway. 

The roiling anxiety in Hank's gut sharpened as the android holding him hostage motioned for him to move. Connor can't die now, he won't let him.

"Easy you fucking piece of shit!" He snapped as loudly as he could, mentally hoping Connor wouldn't put his life over everything he's worked for.

Connor's head snapped to him, and swiftly switched over to his armed doppelganger. Hank didn't doubt his being a deviant now, not when he could read his emotions plain as day. He looked worried, and scared.  _For him?_

"Step back, Connor! And I'll spare him" He knew androids don't feel pain, but he wanted to strangle this garbage copy so badly anyway.

"Sorry Connor. This bastard's your spitting image" An understatement, and maybe not entirely accurate, but Hank could only care about making him understand his regret. 'I should have known'

"Your friend's life is in your hands. Now it's time to decide what matters most!" Definitely not him. "Him or the revolution?"

Hank gritted his teeth. "Don't listen to him! Everything this fucker says is a lie!" Connor's worried eyes flickered back and forth between them, as if deciding what to do.

Of course the kid immediately apologizes!

"Forget about me, do what you have to do!" A hint of desperation seeps into Hank's shout. 'Don't do it, kid. I'm not worth it. Please don't'

Connor addressed the copy, eyes narrowed, "If I surrender, how do I know you won't kill him?"

Hank felt like yelling there and then. He WASN'T WORTH IT!

"I'll only do what is strictly necessary to accomplish my mission. It's up to you whether or not that includes killing this human" The machine stated uncaringly. "Enough talk! It's time to decide you you really are!" Looks like the copy has lost his patience, and he emphasized his point by pressing the gun at Hank's temple. "Are you going to save your partner's life? Or are you going to sacrifice him?"

_Don't do it_

He did it.

The stupid kid dropped the arm he had been gripping, and hastily took a step back. "Alright, alright! You win!" 

_No._

Hank has never moved faster in his entire life. He grabbed the android's arm that was holding the gun. They grappled for a few seconds, with him desperately trying to disarm the machine wearing Connor's face. 'I'm just an old man, Connor. Let me do this for you'

The odds were against him from the start. A swift punch to the gut was all it took for him to go down, and Hank could only watch, frozen, as bullet after bullet was shot into the boy he never thought he'd care about.

Eleven. He didn't know why he counted. It seemed excessive, especially for an android that claimed to only do things that are necessary for is mission. The first shot, aimed perfectly at Connor's forehead, was enough.

It was enough for Hank to see the life die out of his brown eyes.

He felt like he was back at that hospital, being told that his baby boy didn't make it. Back then he had also frozen, shocked into stillness while he tried to process the news. Back then he had sunk into his knees and stared at Cole's still body, begging,  _silently begging_  those lifeless eyes to move, to  _look at him_. 

_I'm here. Daddy's here. Please, oh please. Not my Cole. Please, I'm here._

_Just look at me._

He guessed nothing much changed in three years. His eyes never left those brown ones. They were artificial eyes. But why did they look  _so human,_  even in death?  _This is wrong, this is all wrong, it shouldn't have been like this_. "Connor, no..."

Hank barely registered the machine wearing his face addressing him, and yet his words broke him.

"He really liked you, Lieutenant. That's what killed him" A machine designed to accomplish a task, that's what the copy called himself. Was this what Connor was supposed to be? Cold, ruthless, and emotionless? They may look and sound exactly the same, but they couldn't be more different than oil and water. Connor showed more humanity than most humans, he showed empathy where other cops would've turned away. He died to free his people, and now he'll never get to see it happen.

He couldn't stop the tears this time, as he slowly crawled towards Connor's body, left in a kneeling position. "I'm sorry, son. I'm sorry" Hank sobbed as he drew the unmoving android to his arms. "It's my fault, it's my fault. I should have known. I should have fucking known!" He failed him, like he failed Cole.

_It wasn't your fault, Lieutenant._

Connor's voice, reassuring and calm. But that's wrong, too. He's gone. And it's all because of him

_A truck skidded on a sheet of ice, and your car rolled over._

Wait, when had Connor talked to him about Cole before? Hank never mentioned him before...

_Cole needed emergency surgery but no human was available to do it..._

This is all wrong. Connor wouldn't just let himself be killed like that. He would have fought to the end. 

_So an android had to take care of him. Cole didn't make it._

He remembered... asking a question. It was the only way to know which Connor was the real one...

_That's why you hate androids_

No, he didn't, not anymore. He knows they’re alive. He’s seen them fight for their rights. They’ve won it. Connor gave them an advantage that night, when he woke up the androids at… at Cyberlife. Hank's vision grew hazy as his head sharpened with realization. 

_You think one of us is responsible for your son’s death._

This is wrong. This never happened.

 

* * *

 

Hank woke with a gasp, and the sick feeling in his stomach didn't go away as he hoped after that nightmare. 'It never happened, Hank. You're okay, he's okay' He repeated that thought to himself as he grabbed the glass of water by his bedside. 

Still, he had to be sure. He stumbled out of bed and into the other bedroom, the bedroom that used to be locked and unused for so long, when Hank couldn't even bear to look at anything inside, as they all reminded him of his baby boy. The decision to give it to Connor wasn't easy, but he didn't regret it. Cole is gone, and for so long, Hank had nothing to live for. Until an android literally crashed through his window and slapped him awake. He will always love Cole, but now the room is in good hands.

"Hank? Is everything okay?"

There he was, sitting on the bed he rarely uses, looking for all the world like nothing ruffled him. Connor seemed to have been in the middle of reading one of those old Lord of the Rings books. An actual real book, of course. Hank had gotten him into that after realizing he had nothing to do during nighttime, as he doesn't sleep after all. 

The fear and worry seeped out of him. He really is here. Alive and whole and now looking at him with concern on his face. For a few minutes, they just stared at each other while Hank took several deep breaths, and now he's realizing how awkward this all is. Just a stupid nightmare, that's all it was. He shouldn't have gotten so worked up.

"A nightmare?" Connor asked softly. "What, used your fancy scanners on me?" Hank snorted. "Not at all, actually. Just a theory that you confirmed for me just now" 

It felt good to chuckle. "Sassy ball of sunshine, aren't ya? Well it doesn't matter anymore. I'll just go ahead and -" "I'm sorry"

"For fucking what? You haven't put hair dye in my shampoo again, have you?" What's the kid apologizing for?

Connor lowered his gaze and started fiddling with his book, carefully marking where he left off. "You've been having an increased rate of nightmares ever since I've convinced you to cut back on your daily alcohol intake, along with all the other symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. I am sure it will be beneficial to your health in the long run, but perhaps I should not have meddled in your private affai-"

"Shut the fuck up, Connor. I wouldn't have gone and dumped my expensive whiskey into the sink if I didn't want to do it. If anything, I should have done this a while ago. It's just been... easier to drown everything in Black Lamb than face reality"

"I know, Hank. I... appreciate this, along with everything else you've done for me", Connor gave him a small smile as he got up and headed to the kitchen, "It's currently 3:18 AM, and you're not needed at the precinct until 10 AM. Please get back to bed, and I will prepare you some chamomile tea. I know you aren't a fan of tea, but chamomile has been proven to help induce sleep due to the presence of- " 

His tea tirade got cut short as Hank pulled him into a hug, with Connor hesitantly returning the gesture. Kid was still slow with his emotions. It's okay, though. They have all the time in the world.

None of them said anything, the hug was enough. 

As Hank pulled away with a warm feeling, a welcome difference to the empty cold he had been feeling a while ago, he ruffled Connor's synthetic hair. He always had it neatly slicked back when outside the house, but Hank liked its messy nature when at home. And the scandalized look Connor always gives him when he does that never fails to amuse him.  _He looks... human._

"You've been good for me too, kid" Hank gruffly muttered, before he turned back to his room. Too much emotions for one fucking night. He lied down on his bed and closed his eyes, but he waited.

Soon enough the door opened and he heard something, probably a mug of shit he won't drink, being placed quietly on his bedside table. As Connor turned to leave, his steps steady and soft, Hank's hand shot out, and grabbed his sleeve. 

"Don't- just, just stay a while, okay?" Hank blurted out, his eyes already heavy. This would most certainly embarrass him in the morning, but now he's too tired to think of that.

Connor didn't say anything, but he heard a chair being pulled up beside the bed. As Hank drifted off with a cool firm hand reassuringly squeezing his own, he thought he heard his robot son say something, but he couldn't be sure.

"I'll never leave you, Hank"

**Author's Note:**

> Hello to anyone who read this thing! This is my very first fanfic, so I apologize if it's messy and all over the place.  
> I've always wanted to practice writing with my own ideas, and I've finally gotten around to doing it! I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Also, if anyone is wondering, the whole thing with Connor getting shot at by Connor- 60 while Hank watches does happen in-game. Choose to save Hank, then do nothing (don't convert, don't shoot and don't interpose) and let the timers run out. This horrible Connor ending will then commence.
> 
> Here's a link to anyone who wants to see it :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EABaY1KGceM


End file.
